Community
by Kitty Boots
Norwegian fijord horses are tough
but will founder on spring grass
too lush
Medina, green-eyed, beautiful desert-daughter is not self-conscious in her head scarf
Aziz will not return to the souks of Morocco
he may leave for Baltimore
the Salvadorans have asked for English lessons
the grandmothers are proud
there are too few grandfathers
Bonafacio has five daughters, he says,
but will founder on spring grass
too lush
Medina, green-eyed, beautiful desert-daughter is not self-conscious in her head scarf
Aziz will not return to the souks of Morocco
he may leave for Baltimore
the Salvadorans have asked for English lessons
the kitchen is a prison
Mansoor is in college studying film making
Mansoor is in college studying film making
Ayalah studies in Dubai
Suliman reads stacks of books and eats candy bars
as I share hugs and tears with his mother
the grandmothers are proud
there are too few grandfathers
Bonafacio has five daughters, he says,
"they are making me poor!"
the eldest one helps him make copies of all his papers
bees are confused because of the whacked-out winter
Jasmine, trans, is lovelier each day
she still likes baseball and has already gotten a pedicure for Spring
bees are confused because of the whacked-out winter
Jasmine, trans, is lovelier each day
she still likes baseball and has already gotten a pedicure for Spring
Kelly remains in hiding
she fears the men in pick-up trucks with snakes on their license plates
the bathroom petition at church, the Turkey Shoot
Danny is taking his son to the reservation
some of the Old Ones still speak the language
and he does not trust the history books to tell the truth
he wants Joseph to hear the Trickster stories
he wants to see him on a shaggy pony, braids flying
wearing an eagle feather
Arturo is operating a backhoe
his roofing crew went back to their villages
Sancho was sleeping with their wives
Maria's hens are laying well, she brings me eggs
I try to explain Ground Hog Day to her
she gives me a puzzled look
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Author's Note
when you peel away the layers, there is no "typical" community anymore
Other stories by Kitty Boots
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Your most ambitious yet. Gracefully unpredictable, surprising, sparkling detail. I could go on and on. And on...
Beautiful work, Kitty! Love the last stanza. **
I quite like these parts:
Medina, green-eyed,
beautiful desert-daughter
is not self-conscious
in her head scarf
Aziz will not return
to the souks of Morocco,
he may leave for Baltimore
Danny is taking his son
to the reservation
some of the Old Ones
still speak the language
and he does not trust
the history books,
he wants Joseph to hear
the Trickster stories
Bees are confused because
of the whacked-out winter
Norwegian fijord horses are tough
but will founder on spring grass
too lush
The people in this poem live!
This is my favorite stanza:
"Kelly remains in hiding / she fears the men in pick-up trucks with snakes on their license plates / the bathroom petition at church, the Turkey Shoot"
Captures so much.
I like this community of folks (and horses and bees) a lot. All the stanzas and lines mentioned above are memorable. Push to shove, my own favorites are the opening two stanzas and the closer.
*
Thank you, Matt, Rachna,Bill, Gary and Ray. I just met the Norwegian fijord horse, she's recovering from founder, but everyone else is hanging in there!
Nice work. I like it. Especially like the imagery in the closing stanzas. Good.
Thank you, Sam.
"Typical" is not what we are.*
Thank you, Tim. You are so right. I cannot tell you how these people have enriched my life with their cultures, friendships and dreams.
*
Thank you, Loren.
Ahhh, good to see this again!